Video Editor: Sandeep Suman
Video Producer: Hera Khan
Despite half a dozen videos of policemen announcing their resignation going viral on Friday, 21 September, following the kidnapping and killing of three cops in Jammu and Kashmir, the government has alleged that this is “false propaganda”.
The ‘resignation’ videos of the policemen (mostly SPOs or Special Police Officers), emerged after the terrorist group, Hizbul Mujahideen, had put out a video threatening to kill security personnel (mainly the SPOs) if they didn't resign and announce the same by posting videos online, NDTV reports.
Following this threat, the ‘resignation’ videos along with reports that terrorists were raiding homes of the policemen and forcing them to resign, went viral.
The Quint has not been able to verify, independently, the veracity of these videos which are doing the rounds on social media.
‘I Have No Relation With the Police Department’
In one of the videos which surfaced online, an SPO named Shabir Ahmad Thokar from Kulgam publicly announced his resignation and said that he has now cut all ties with the police department.
“My name is Shabir Ahmad Thokar, son of Ghulam Mohammad Thokar. I was working as an SPO for the last eight years. Through this video, l want to tell everybody that from today (onwards), I have no relation with the police department.”Shabir Ahmad Thokar
‘Resigning at Free Will’
In another resignation video which surfaced, Nawaz Ahmad Lone, from Kulgam, who was working as an SPO claimed that he was resigning out of his own “free will” and not due to “compulsion” from anybody.
A third video which surfaced online, was one of Tajalla Hussain, an SPO in the Shopian district, who had resigned on Friday.
Home Ministry Rubbishes Claims
Following the release of these ‘resignation’ videos, the Home Ministry has rejected them by saying that some officials in the videos weren’t SPOs anymore, NDTV reports.
It called the reports claiming the resignation of these offers and the news that terrorists were entering their houses and forcing them to resign as “untrue and motivated”.
“Reports have appeared in a section of media that some Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Jammu and Kashmir have resigned. J&K Police have confirmed that these reports are untrue and motivated. These reports are based on false propaganda by mischievous elements.”Statement by the Home Ministry (as reported by NDTV)
Another police statement claimed: “Services of SPOs are reviewed from time to time and based on these reviews some SPOs are disengaged. The videos uploaded on the social media are motivated. There have been no resignations by policemen after the killings of three SPOs by the terrorists,” IANS reported.
However, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have reportedly issued an advisory to all the policemen on leave in south Kashmir to report for duty immediately.
The advisory also directs policemen not to visit their homes till further orders.
(With inputs from NDTV and IANS)
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